The present invention relates to a video playback control apparatus and a content playback control apparatus which are to be used for playing back video data in a digital theater, a home video player, a home video game machine, or the like, and also to a method of supplying commercial information in which commercial information is provided to such an apparatus.
In a movie theater, trailers etc. are played prior to the main part of a movie, and then the main part is played. Such trailers and the main part are previously combinedly edited so as to be continuously played, and distributed in the form of a roll film made of a resin. Therefore, it is impossible to easily reedit trailers and the main part in accordance with conditions of the location, the time zone, etc.
At present, in playing of a movie, distribution of a movie in which digital video data are used is being put to practical use. The most real-time system of distributing video data is the on-line distribution via a telephone line or a CS (Communication Satellite). However, on-line distribution of a large amount of video data such as a movie requires a very long time period, and a high communication cost. Therefore, this system is not rational. A video data distribution system using disc media such as DVDs can be surely performed and does not entail high cost, but has a problem in that the system is poor in real-timeness and flexibility in, for example, selection of trailers in accordance with conditions such as the location and the time zone.
It has been proposed that a commercial is included in a content to be played back in a home video player or a home video game machine and the price of a package medium such as a video disc or a game cassette is lowered by the advertisement rate paid by the sponsor of the commercial.
When commercial data are embedded into a package medium, however, the same commercial is always played back, thereby causing a problem in that the content becomes obsolete as a result of elapse of time. Unlike television broadcasting, it is difficult to change a commercial to be played back, in accordance with conditions such as the day of the week and the time zone.